Labour’s decision to welcome Tory defector Natalie Elphicke into the party has been defended by Labour chair Anneliese Dodds, despite anger from some Labour MPs. Elphicke, who is viewed by some as a right-wing politician, defected to the Labour Party on Wednesday, criticising the “broken promises of Rishi Sunak’s tired and chaotic government.” Labour party’s chair, Dodds, said the Dover MP was a “good, natural fit” for Labour, adding that “what she set out is absolutely fundamental to the Labour Party.” However, some Labour MPs have concerns about Elphicke’s political views and past comments, including remarks she made about her ex-husband, who was convicted of sexual assault last year.
Labour backbencher Mick Whitley has called Elphicke’s move “outrageous,” adding that she does not share the “values of the Labour movement,” while Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield said Labour MPs were “baffled” by her “really peculiar” defection. Nonetheless, Keir Starmer welcomed the move, telling reporters it showed his party was “the party of the national interest.”
Elphicke has campaigned for rent freezes and against homelessness, areas where she has common ground with Labour, though she has also criticised the party for “grabbing more in taxes” and not being “serious” about stopping small boat crossings, a big issue in her Dover constituency. Many Labour MPs are concerned about her political views and past comments, including remarks she made about her ex-husband, who was convicted of sexual assault last year.
Labour has denied that its whips, responsible for party discipline, were worried about accepting Elphicke. This is the second defection to Labour in less than two weeks, after Dr Dan Poulter also quit the Tories last month. While defections are often welcomed by new colleagues, this latest move has left some Labour MPs feeling upset and let down
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